Indonesia’s National Resilience Institute and ITB Discuss Universities’ Role in National Resilience
By M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id – The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) was selected as one of the universities visited by the National Resilience Institute of the Republic of Indonesia (Lembaga Ketahanan Nasional Republik Indonesia/Lemhannas RI) as a part of the Domestic Strategic Study (SSDN) for the 68th Batch of the 2025 Leadership Preparation and Strengthening Program (P4N).
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, 27 participants from the 68th Batch of the 20205 Domestic Strategic Study (SSDN LXVIII TA 2025), consisting of personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), civil servants (ASN), non-civil servants, and international participants from Jordan and Timor-Leste, took part in a discussion held at the ITB Rectorate.
ITB Rector, Prof. Dr. Ir. Tatacipta Dirgantara, M.T., shared that he had previously participated in the Lemhannas program. He remarked that the program offered valuable insights, enabling him to understand various aspects of national resilience.
In a speech delivered on behalf of the Governor of Lemhannas RI, Dr. H. TB. Ace Hasan Syadzily, M.Si., by Supriyatna, S.I.P., M.M., Expert Staff for Leadership Studies at Lemhannas RI, stated that as an institution recognized as the “School of Geopolitics”, Lemhannas encourages its participants to explore and understand geopolitical and geosynthetic dynamics that influence global, regional, and national conditions. For this reason, participants are given a program in the form of SSDN, which includes strategic study visits aimed at orienting and enhancing their analytical capabilities to examine regional issues through the lens of Indonesia’s five-dimensional national resilience (Pancagatra).
Through this program, Lemhannas RI aims to foster collaboration and a collective solution to policy changes.
During the meeting, Prof. Tata discussed the role of higher education institutions in supporting national defense. According to an analysis of developed countries, he emphasized that the key to national development and national defense lies in human resources capable of adding value to natural resources through science and technology.
He noted that Indonesia faces unique challenges that differ from other countries. Which is why it requires homegrown technological solutions, developed through collaboration. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of consistent policy formulation that transcends government terms, an approach successfully practiced by other Asian countries, like Japan, South Korea, and China.
“If we aspire to be a developed nation, we must build a national ecosystem that integrates industry, science and technology, finance and business, as well as innovation,” he said.
ITB’s contribution to national resilience includes the High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HALE UAV), which is a drone designed for surveillance and communication missions at altitudes between 4.000-60.000 feet above commercial flight paths. Another innovation is an alternative fuel catalyst called “Katalis Merah Putih” developed through end-to-end research. ITB also developed Desanesha, an application that facilitates communication between village heads across Indonesia and ITB experts to address local challenges.
In the area of cybersecurity, ITB has the ITB-Korea Cyber Security Research and Development Center (CSC), the first dedicated cybersecurity research center in Indonesia, serving as a hub for research, development, and innovation in cyber information security. ITB also offers graduate programs such as Design leadership, which supports the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), alongside an incubator at the School of Business and Management (SBM) that actively nurtures MSMEs.
Moreover, ITB alumni contributed to national transportation and other sectors, including Arvila Delitriana, a key person in the construction of the world’s longest curved LRT (Light Rapid Transit) bridge.
Translator: Senandung Shauma Bidadari (Management, 2026)
